The Queen of Thorns
by The Resurrection Lily
Summary: Snapshots of Fem!EnglandxSpain and Alice(fem!Engalnd's) Life. I had written this a while back because I got frustrated at not seeing enough of one of my favorite pairs. I decided to go through it again in an attempt to help alleviate my writer's block. I'm not sure if it's been successful or not. Please help make this wonderful pair more popular. SpUk.
**Disclaimer: Hetalia is the property of** **Hidekaz Himaruya, I own nothing. Otherwise a great many fan pairings would be cannon -_-**

 **Snapshots of Fem!EnglandxSpain and Alice(fem!Engalnd's) Life. I had written this a while back because I got frustrated at not seeing enough of one of my favorite pairs. I decided to go through it again in an attempt to help alleviate my writer's block. I'm not sure if it's been successful or not. Please help make this wonderful pair more popular. By the way translations are done though Google and my own knowledge of Spanish (Which isn't much)**

 **La Reina de Zarzas**

 **The Queen of Thorns**

* * *

 **Resemblance**

Rome stared down at his newest conquest. The infant country could barely be considered a threat; she didn't even reach his mid-calf. Yet she looked so much like him, his old rival Germania. Blond hair, pale skin, and though her eyes were a different color they contained the same defiant spirit he saw every time he faced off against the barbarian. Yes, he thought silently, Britain will be handful to deal with.

 **Pride**

England's spine is straight and her eyes are keen despite the past few days. Even as she is clamped in irons and paraded around by that stupid Dane and his dumb band of Vikings she still finds the strength and courage to kick him where it will hurt.

 **Alone**

She doesn't cry, she had no need to despite the absence of all her siblings. Their rejection had hurt, but it would never break her. She consoles herself with the knowledge that her siblings aren't important, their opinions and actions. After all Mint Bunny and Unicorn were much better playmates and caretakers.

 **Wild**

France couldn't help but taunt her. Seriously what kind of weirdo raised the brutish tom-boy? There was always dirt on her face and her hair was littered with twigs and leaves. Forever and always picking fights with anyone that came along. A girl shouldn't wear trousers and run wild through the countryside. What he didn't realize until much later was that no one had raised her.

 **Ambition**

She watches in pride as Arthur's knights dominate the battlefield. Once she gets bigger she'll join them in training, no matter what her king says. But for now the bow will have to do, they already underestimate her due to her age and size. But in time, she promises her people that they will be great.

 **Hide**

England learns quickly not to talk to her Fae friends in front of other people. Her fellow nations only made fun of her, but the reactions of others were much worse. She shudders at the mere thought of being forced into water again.

 **Wall**

As she grew, England built a wall around her heart. It was much easier than getting hurt. By this point she had recognized that eventually she would always be alone. Many people came into her life, but they never stayed, no matter how much she cared. Her scowls and grumbles grew into an icy cold mask. Bitter words and actions protected her from caring. And to this day only three of her fellow nations ever managed to break through it.

 **Origin**

When she was very young her siblings in a rare moment called her Adalheidis. For nobility and kindness she was named. Then the frog comes along and shortens it to Aalis. And the newly dubbed Aalis could care less, because she was sure as hell was never calling him by his preferred name.

 **Butterfly**

Most of the nations never realized what a profound presence and effect they'd had on England during her youth. The few countries she came into notable contact with were her siblings, invaders, and France. None of them ever left good impressions, and that always stuck with her.

 **Kin**

If there was one thing England loved unconditionally it was children. Alice always tried to ensure that she was personally involved in each of her royal's childhood, even if it was only as a tutor. She also had the bad habit of disappearing and ignoring her duties for a bit to entertain the various children she met. Though she would be damned if any of her fellow nations found out she had a soft spot.

 **Posies**

She grits her teeth and ignores the smell of rotting corpses and people. England finds comfort in the knowledge that the plague won't last forever, nothing can. Something only has value because it has an end.

 **Wings**

She will murder France if he ever mentions this again. Slowly and painfully. Then bury the various parts of his body in different locations.

 **Love**

It is natural as a nation to love their people even if it's always from a distance. But Alice can't help but interact with her citizen's, form ties with them. Even though she knows that someday they will die and leave her behind. England buries herself in the present and tries not to think of such things. Though she knows in the end she'll walk away hurt.

 **Comfort**

Trousers have always felt more comfortable than dresses to Alice. Her various bosses rarely minded, they'd long since grown used to her ways. They only ever requested she dress as a woman during formal events.

 **Burn**

England carefully ignores France's hateful yet pleading gaze. As a country, as England she had thought of Jeanne d'Arc as an enemy. But what she will never admit is that as a person, as Alice, she found the other woman somewhat inspiring. So Alice once again lies to her own heart and dutifully agrees with her Boss. The witch must burn.

 **Consequences**

Every move, every action she makes has an effect. Whether for good or for ill. She cannot, must not, fail. Her people and ruler rely on her. And so she shoulders yet another burden all alone as she prepares for war.

 **Sea**

Antonio had seen her before, he'd heard all of France's rants about England. But nothing prepares him for the sight of her leading a pirate crew. For a moment he can't even recognize her. Thigh-high tan boots that revealed a few inches of skin before shorts. A long blood-red captain's coats fluttering in the wind alongside England's bright golden hair. But her eyes bring him back. There's no way he could ever forget those emerald green orbs that shone with ambition.

 **Girn**

Their blades clash and every time one of them walks away victorious. His constant arrogant smile irritates her every time she sees him. Yet those are the years when she feels most free. Chasing down his ships for a taste of Spanish gold, even if what she really looks forward to is seeing-no beating that Spaniard again.

 **Searching**

Spain's bright green eyes are always scanning the horizon while he's at sea. He would always return to dear Romano, but for now. . . .He licked his lips at the mere thought of the Sea-Queen. She'd definitely earned her title. Never before had he met a country as fierce and wild as she. So willing to fight alongside her men, and against him.

 **Drift**

There were times when he captured her, and she did the same. It was a game they played up and down the coasts. They fling insults and cannon fire at each other. But they both always enjoyed the fights.

 **Thoughts**

Was it wrong that he made her heart race in excitement? That she was always looking to fight against him? Somehow Spain seemed to bring out her bloodthirsty side, she wanted to crush him. Wipe that damned stupidly arrogant smirk right off his face. Taking his gold was always a reward, but the true prize was winning against Spain.

England always seemed to bring out his darkest side. When he was with Romano and the others he was a father, firm but loving. But with her, here out on the open seas he was the Conquistador. He made sure to keep that part of himself far, far away from Romano. She was a tiny Island Nation that managed to fight, and win against him. But Spain would never acknowledge the small part of him that called her his equal out here on the high seas.

 **Banter**

Spain had started out calling her _Niña_. While Alice's Spanish was severely lacking she got the general idea of the statement. Of course she'd promptly run her cutlass through his gut to teach him better. As time went on she'd learned to ignore whatever he called her when fighting. ' _Cariño_ ', ' _Querido_ ', and many others before he finally settles on ' _Mi querida rosa'_. It meant nothing; they were just his silly Spanish attempts at taunting her.

 **Flower**

England grits her teeth as she tries to convince her Queen Mary out of marrying that thrice-damned Spanish King. She reasons, she pleads, she begs and argues but Mary will hear none of it. Alice wonders how the woman can be so foolish. And as England she shared the opinion of her people, they will never accept a Spanish King. Nothing good would come of this union.

 **Distance**

Mary might love the man she'd seen in that portrait, but he would never love her. Mary met her future husband and king two days before they were married. They converse in a mixture of French, Spanish, and Latin.

 **Chapel**

Spain knows he shouldn't stare at her during the wedding but he really can't help it. Who would have ever thought that England the pirate would clean up this nicely? In the past he'd only ever seen her with trousers, hair mussed by the wind, dirt smeared checks. Yet somehow that same Alicia managed to look absolutely stunning in a dress. He grinned, fierce and possessive. She was his.

 **Throne**

Alice could barely contain her fury. That bloody Spanish King was sitting beside Mary on the throne looking bored. Bored! How dare he? It was obvious that Mary loved him if her starlit eyes were any indication, but that love would obviously never be returned by a man more than ten years her junior. A King of England that couldn't even speak English! So when the whole court bows to show their allegiance to their new 'King', she does not. Alice stands tall and proud despite all the furious glares from the Spaniards and her Queen.

 **Lasting**

Spain is obviously pleased at the results of their monarch's union, and he tells Alice as much. He's lucky that Mary forbid her from killing anyone at the reception. But oh how she wants to, so Alice does the next best thing. She tells Spain if he thinks she will roll over and allow a Spanish king to rule her land then he must be an _idiota._ Yes she even said it in his language. Rome could not make her submit, she'd fought off the Vikings, French, and Scottish attempts. Spain is no different, nothing lasts forever.

 **Commute**

Now that they are apparently 'married' both Spain and England are required to spend time with each other. They take it in different ways. Spain for all intents and purposes plays the part of a spouse well. But Alice avoids him whenever she can, refusing to play this new game of his.

 **Break**

Spain proved himself to be a very different person than who Alice had originally known. She could respect that in some ways. He laughed more, was at ease here in his homeland. It was easy to tell that he truly cared about his people and the other nations in his house. But England never was comfortable—no, free on land, in the end the Sea always called her back.

 **BTT**

At times when Spain looks at her, Alice remembers that he's friends with France and Prussia. She's still not overly fond of the frog, but she does like Gilbert. But she knows that all three of them have many things in common. Being a pervert is just one of them, she's reminded of the fact every time his eyes wander.

 **Candlelight**

For all that she'd grown to hate Spain; Alice couldn't deny that he'd done a good job raising Romano. He was such a sweet boy . . . language aside. For once she was reminded of her own youth, he was so much like her despite being a legacy of Rome. And so she whispers to him stories of magic and adventure by the dying candlelight. Though she never notices the figure standing outside the door.

 **Understanding**

Hate gradually fades into indifference as they come to an unspoken agreement. Spain has his business and England handles her own. That doesn't stop Spain from trying to push the boundaries though. A few gentle touches here, whispered words there, the damned documents that had to be written in Spanish.

 **Breeze**

It was a rare day when both Alice and Spain where in a good mood that they'd gone for a picnic with Romano. They child looked for any excuse to get out of Spain's house. So Alice smiles and begins to create the boy a flower crown just like Pixie had done when she was younger. Romano fights, squirms, and swears but he does not remove the flowers and it makes her smile. England only manages a slight glare as Spain weaves several red carnations into her hair.

 **Trade**

She'd known, she'd always known that it was a political union on Spain's side. He gained far more than she did through the marriage of Queen Mary and King Philip. But to hear directly from him that it was just to secure his Lower Countries? Alice walks away in the shadows unseen, holding back a feeling that could be described as disappointment—no, that wasn't quite right. It ran deeper than that.

 **Contradiction**

Antonio knows he really should be upset but he can't help the small grin pulling at his lips. Who would have ever thought the fearsome Queen of the seas, would have made for a good mother? It was easy to see why Romano liked her, she actually did make him do basic chores. But she was never unfair or mean, she also didn't coddle him because of his age and size. He found it somewhat strange that she was so good with children when to his knowledge her siblings had mostly ignored her.

 **Fit**

Alice wonders sometimes how the Spain she knows now is the very same one that she fought against for many years at sea. Playing a guitar wasn't exactly looked on favorably when it was the captain. Nor was his like of tomatoes— scratch that it was more of an insane obsession with them. Not to mention that stupidly sunny grin he always seemed to wear.

 **Religion**

Fear fills Alice at the mere thought of Mary producing an heir by Spain's King. There is no doubt in her mind that would solidify Mary's Catholic reforms. England herself was protestant, every time Mary had another one of her people executed Alice grimaced in pain. But she remained strong and stubborn for her people's sake; she refused to show any weakness.

 **Smile**

Spain still called her ' _Mi querida rosa'_ and Alice ignores him. She crushes any sentiment that creeps up like a bug under her foot. Lies, lies, lies, lies. She refused to believe in him, no matter what they were still enemies. He got under her skin in the worst of ways.

 **Apple**

It didn't take long for France to tease England about being his best friend's 'wife'. Alice dearly wishes that strangling him would have an effect. But Romano is present, and she can't reduce France to a bloody pulp in front of him. So Alice does the next best thing. She covers the young nation's ears and sends swears and curses in every language and variation she knows towards France and Spain who'd been laughing. Centuries later Spain would claim that Romano's attitude was because of her, even though he'd been doing it long before she met them.

 **Treaty**

Antonio clenches his hands in mute anger as he stares at Alicia and his brother. England calls his name freely –João, not Portugal. He'd known they were close but. . . She still called him Spain, refused to use his human name. He won't acknowledge that their close relationship irritates him.

 **Door**

It is as Queen Mary lies on her death bed that England realizes everything is going to change. For all her faults she'd still loved Mary, the dear child that Alice had held in her arms all those years ago.

 **Change**

After two false pregnancies Queen Mary lies dead of a broken heart. Spain struggles with the knowledge that England must be pleased. Oh, she's not happy about her Queen dying, just that fact that she's dying without an heir and a Protestant will be back on the throne. The throne won't belong to him anymore. But that changes nothing. Whether she likes it or not Alicia is still his. Antonio knows he's a very possessive man.

 **Cross**

After Mary dies, Elizabeth takes the throne and cuts many of the Spanish ties they held. England for her part is happy that her new Queen is receding many of the religious reforms that Mary and that Spanish basterd created. And in the end Alice had proven herself right to Spain.

 **Tie**

Spain watched as his ruler tried in vain to keep close ties with England. To Philip it seemed a waste to lose control after all that trouble. But their every effort is rebuked. Queen Elizabeth refuses to marry anyone the Spanish King selects for her. Time passes and England continues to reject his proposals. The defiance the Island nation had shown couldn't stand. It was time for war.

 **Crush**

England watches with pleasure as the Spanish Armada, the pride and glory of his empire sinks beneath the waves. The defeat will crush his forces, but it will not break Spain. Alice knows all too well that he will never give up, nor will he ever forgive her. They are entirely too much alike in that respect. Alice ignores her stomach sinking below with his ships. It was something that she'd long since become used to. For her people she could do anything.

 **Oddity**

Looking back Spain can't quite recall when his irritation turned into fascination towards the Sea-Queen. And after their countries were united, it'd grown to something even more. Affection? Fondness, perhaps? He didn't know, and right now he didn't care. Minor skirmishes he could handle, but he would never forgive her for this. Antonio raged even as his men screamed in terror, his beloved Armada burned before sinking into the darkest depths of the sea.

 **One**

Despite only knowing her for a short period of time Romano had truly liked England. It had probably helped that they had a mutual dislike of Rome, well that and the fact that she knew not to baby him. He could tell she'd grown up to fast as well. So he's reasonably somewhat upset when he's told that she won't be coming back. It's the night after the Armada fell when Romano feels afraid of Spain for the first and only time.

 **Time**

Time starts to fly by again. Alice avoids Spain whenever she can. No longer do her ships chase down his flag, instead they turn and leave. England focuses her attention elsewhere. Spain needs to become just another part of her history. Alice goes on to continue burning bridges with others.

 **Secret**

There may be a rift between Spain and Portugal, but they still trust each other. Sometimes when he's busy Spain will entrust Romano into his brother's care. Alice manages to speak to Romano again during such rare times. Thankfully it seems that he doesn't hate her, even though he has every right to.

 **Blood**

If there was one thing Gilbert knew, it was the importance of protecting everything and everyone dear to him. He didn't think that England was aware of their connection, and he wanted to keep it that way. 'England' or basically 'Land of the Angles' after one of the many Germanic tribes that settled there. She even looked a little bit like Germania. Prussia had seen how his best friend had looked at her, but he also knew that Alice would always put her people's interests first. So when the whole thing blows up between Spain and England he's not surprised, he can only hope that things will get better someday. But God help them, if someday his little sister's heart is broken, there will be hell to pay.

* * *

The day is cold, and dark, and dreary;  
It rains, and the wind is never weary;  
The vine still clings to the mouldering wall,  
But at every gust the dead leaves fall,  
And the day is dark and dreary.

My life is cold, and dark, and dreary;  
It rains, and the wind is never weary;  
My thoughts still cling to the mouldering past,  
But the hopes of youth fall thick in the blast,  
And the days are dark and dreary.

Be still, sad heart, and cease repining;  
Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;  
Thy fate is the common fate of all,  
Into each life some rain must fall,  
Some days must be dark and dreary.

The Rainy Day

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

* * *

 **I'll probably putting any fem!EngalndxSpain that I write here. Like I said before I had this written awhile back. I'll probably post a second part. And history here to clear things up, most of England's early years are canon so I'll focus on the marriage. I'm sorry if I get anything wrong, English history isn't exactly my forte. Queen Mary I of England did marry Philip after allegedly falling in love with him through a portrait. Though it was purely a political move on the Spanish side to secure the Lower Countries (Belgium and Netherlands) and gain power in England. Mary was Catholic and executed nearly 300 people, thus getting the title 'Bloody Mary'. The whole Spanish king of England only lasted about 4 years, until Mary's death. Then Queen Elizabeth takes the throne, (There was Jane Grey but she was beheaded) the Spanish aren't pleased for a number of reasons so they issue 130 ships, to go and over throw her. The English did manage to stall the invasion and defeat them despite the superior Spanish numbers. Again the details are bit sketchy to me. Alice is my head cannon name for a fem!England, mostly for the fact that it has both Germanic and French influences. I love the idea that Frances slaps on a nickname to his rival. Oh I almost forgot. England and Portugal have the oldest standing treaty still in effect today, it's been reinforced multiple times throughout history. Thus why they are very good friends.**


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